Poster for Reincarnated (1979)
1. This music selection is to commemorate the end of an era in Hong Kong's television history.
Tomorrow (April 1, 2016), Asia Television (ATV) will cease over-the-air transmission after the Executive Council of Hong Kong did not renew it's broadcast license last year.
The predecessor of ATV, Rediffusion Television (RTV), was the first TV station in Hong Kong and possibly the first Chinese TV station in the world.
2. ("Asia Television", Wikipedia):
"Asia Television (Chinese: 亞洲電視有限公司, also known as ATV, stylised "aTV") is a television broadcasting company based in Hong Kong. Established as the first television service in Hong Kong as Rediffusion Television on 29 May 1957, it shifted to terrestrial television on 30 November 1973, and was renamed Asia Television on 24 September 1982. ATV operates two main over-the-air channels: the Cantonese-language ATV Home, and ATV World."
"Despite its relatively small market share, ATV has received numerous awards for its programmes. One of its successes was the local version of the British game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in 2001, which allowed ATV to enjoy a short-term upturn in its viewing figures. However, ATV faced a gradual decline in production quality and viewership in recent years and faced financial difficulties—a process hastened under the leadership of Wang Zheng. ATV's credibility was also severely damaged in 2011 after it falsely reported that Jiang Zemin had died."
"On 1 April 2015, Hong Kong's Executive Council announced that ATV's broadcast license would not be renewed, and ordered ATV to cease over-the-air transmission after 1 April 2016."
3. Reincarnated ("天蠶變") by Michael Kwan is the theme song of an 1979 Hong Kong ATV TV drama of the same name.
It is also the theme song for the sequel Reincarnated II ("天蠶變之再與天比高") broadcasted in 1983.
The TV drama Reincarnated (1979) is 60 episodes long and it is a landmark in Hong Kong television history.
There were two over-the-air TV stations in Hong Kong in the 1970s: TVB and RTV.
TVB dominated the market by far in terms of viewership.
The main attraction for viewers those days were TV dramas and Reincarnated (1979) was one of the high points when RTV was able pull close to TVB in viewership.
The lyrics of Reincarnated ("天蠶變") are inspirational but humanistic.
The last verse of the lyrics:
讓我攀險峰 再與天比高
(Let me climb a perilous peak to see whether I am higher than heaven)
is something no religious person can say.
4. Reincarnated ("天蠶變") by Michael Kwan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1Sqvc8aBhc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O207RDmsEzI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PL6wy9zw8Yg
From a CD:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqKVRUf5C5Q
5. A Mandarin cover by the Taiwanese singer Liu Wen Zheng
(The lyrics are identical to the Cantonese original):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B0hLak81T8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irfKLUkbOv0
6. The Lyrics in Traditional Chinese:
天蠶變 -- 關正傑
作曲：黎小田
作詞：盧國沾
* 獨自在山坡 高處未處高
命運在冷笑 暗示前無路
浮雲遊身邊 發出警告 我高視闊步
# 雖知此山頭 猛虎滿佈
膽小非英雄 決不願停步
冷眼對血路 寂寞是命途
明月映山崗 倍覺孤高
@ 拋開愛慕 飽遭煎熬 早知代價高
絲方吐盡 繭中天蠶 必須破籠牢
Repeat *, #, @
一生稱英雄 永不信命數
經得起波濤 更感自傲
抹去了眼淚 背上了憤怒
讓我攀險峰 再與天比高
7. The Lyrics in Simplified Chinese:
天蚕变 -- 关正杰
作曲：黎小田
作词：卢国沾
*独自在山坡 高处未处高
命运在冷笑 暗示前无路
浮云游身边 发出警告 我高视阔步
#虽知此山头 猛虎满布
胆小非英雄 决不愿停步
冷眼对血路 寂寞是命途
明月映山岗 倍觉孤高
@抛开爱慕 饱遭煎熬 早知代价高
丝方吐尽 茧中天蚕 必须破笼牢
Repeat *, #, #
一生称英雄 永不信命数
经得起波涛 更感自傲
抹去了眼泪 背上了愤怒
让我攀险峰 再与天比高
8. Names, Words and Phrases:
ATV (Asia Television Limited) (Traditional Chinese: 亞洲電視有限公司; Simplified Chinese: 亚洲电视有限公司).
Executive Council of Hong Kong (Traditional: 行政會議; Simplified: 行政会议).
Michael Kwan (Traditional: 關正傑; Simplified: 关正杰).
Liu Wen Zheng (Traditional: 劉文正; Simplified: 刘文正).
RTV (Rediffusion Television Limited) (Traditional: 麗的電視有限公司; Simplified: 丽的电视有限公司).
TVB (Television Broadcasts Limited) (Traditional: 電視廣播有限公司; Simplified: 电视广播有限公司).
References:
"Asia Television", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asia_Television
(accessed 2016-03-31).
"Executive Council of Hong Kong", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_Council_of_Hong_Kongecutive
(accessed 2016-03-31).
"Rediffusion Television", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rediffusion_Television
(accessed 2016-03-31).
"TVB", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TVB
(accessed 2016-03-31).
"天蠶變 (電視劇)", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E5%A4%A9%E8%A0%B6%E8%AE%8A_%28%E9%9B%BB%E8%A6%96%E5%8A%87%29
(accessed 2016-03-31).
"天蠶變之再與天比高", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E5%A4%A9%E8%A0%B6%E8%AE%8A%E4%B9%8B%E5%86%8D%E8%88%87%E5%A4%A9%E6%AF%94%E9%AB%98
(accessed 2016-03-31).
End.
